California is indeed one of the best states for surrogates and for intended parents alike. I, myself, completed all three of my surrogacy journeys in California and I know many women here in California who have been surrogates and carried babies for couples all over the world, including the US, Australia, Norway, Germany, even China and Russia. As of this writing, we are in the process of supporting moms who are in the middle of their first surrogacy journeys in California.
Surrogacy in itself is quite complex because of the different factors and areas of expertise involved from the surrogacy agency which screens the surrogates and intended parents, the IVF clinic that helps to create the embryos and achieve the pregnancy, the lawyers who draw up the contracts and establish parentage, etc. It is quite a lot to take in and process but it becomes easier if the state has clear cut laws that allow you to weave through the complex process easily.
There are three reasons why you’d want to become a surrogate in California or have a child via gestational surrogacy in California.
Surrogacy laws differ from state to state and California has one of the best and most straightforward gestational surrogacy laws in the US. In most cases, you simply need to have an ART attorney draft up the contracts and documents to review and sign to establish parental rights for the intended parents before the child is even born.
Surrogates are Free from any Parental Responsibility After Giving Birth
California is one of the few states where intended parents can be declared the legal parents in a pre-birth order. What this means is that;
- The intended parents are listed as the parents on the birth certificate.
- The parents will make all decisions for the baby in the hospital, and the baby will be discharged from the hospital to the intended parents.
- The intended parents are the legal parents of the baby prior to birth.
After delivery, the surrogate may be asked to pump breast milk for the baby, but will have no obligations to care for the child at birth, or beyond.
Surrogacy Agencies Offer the Best Compensation
Because California has become the state of choice by couples and individuals who want to start a family through surrogacy, compensation has also become very competitive in the state. Surrogacy agencies are competing with each other to attract qualified surrogates by offering above average benefit packages so you will choose them instead of the competition.
This is one of the things that I love about California because we are able to choose the best surrogacy agency to support women who want to become surrogates and get them the highest compensation, if that is a priority for them. This makes our job easier here at Surrogacy Is because our goal is to make sure surrogates have several options to choose from to find the agency that best fits their values and will compensate well.
The Best IVF Clinics and Exceptional Health Care System
As surrogates and as mothers in general, one of our biggest concerns when getting pregnant is having access to a healthcare system where you’re confident that both moms and babies will be well taken care of and have access to experts in case something unexpected happens.
Thankfully, California has one of the best public healthcare systems in the country, houses some of the best IVF clinics in the world, and has the lowest infant mortality rate.
California hasn’t earned it’s reputation as the most surrogacy friendly states without good reason. Gay couples and individuals loveCalifornia because they are afforded the same rights and priviliges as heterosexual couples when it comes to surrogacy and parentage laws. I became a surrogate and carriedtwins for a gay couple, who were both able to be named as parents on the birth certificate, and they are two of the best dads in the world!
If you or somebody you know wants to become a surrogate in California, click on the link below and take our 8-minute quiz to see if you qualify. You’ll also have access to a support group of surrogates ready to answer any question you may have.
